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3 Overlooked Ways to Optimize SEO in the Restaurant Industry

Getting high rankings in search results is a big goal for any business, but it’s especially helpful in the restaurant and beverage industry. Ninety-two percent of consumers surveyed have searched for a restaurant online in the last six months.

You’re likely using search engine optimization (SEO) to capture these customers; however, some businesses in the restaurant and beverage industry overlook simple SEO techniques that can attract customers.

Here are three overlooked ways to optimize SEO in the restaurant and beverage industry.

Use Keywords to Name Photos

Search engines aren’t just looking for quality content, they’re looking for quality images too. Delicious-looking pictures are a must in the restaurant and beverage industry. You want pictures of mouth-watering burgers, fancy martinis and pint glasses full of pale ale.

Aside from using high-resolution pictures, you should also name your photos using keywords, or a description of the picture. Search engines look for information in every nook and cranny of your website, so don’t leave this nook empty.

Rather than naming a picture “Photo1” name it something like “Cheeseburger_Jacksonville_Restaurant.” It’s a small time investment to improve your SEO.

If you already have images on your site with generic file names, go in and change them to more specific titles.

Create Search Engine Friendly URLs

A site’s URL shows up in search results, which makes it an important piece of data in the digital world.

The next time you create a blog post or add a page to your website, take a look at its URL. Most of the time the URLs are generated for you by the system you’re using. For example, if you post an article to your blog on WordPress, it auto generates a URL for it.

While automation is nice, you should customize the URL to make it more visible to search engines.

You don’t want a URL that is too long and impossible to remember. The URL should be relevant, contain keywords and be on the shorter side (50-60 characters).

Use punctuation to clean up a URL too. For example, use hyphens to break up words. A URL that reads 10-great-restaurants-in-Jacksonville is easier to read with hyphens than without.

Create a Business Profile on Google My Business

When consumers want to find a restaurant, where do they turn? To a search engine.

Let’s say a potential customer is looking for a Mexican restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida with good reviews. The customer pops those specifications into a search engine and out comes a list of possible dinner opportunities.

Plus, your profile has business hours, location, website, reviews and pictures available to online visitors. It’s the ultimate local tool in SEO.

Using these three tips can increase your rank on search engines, and give your business a boost. And if you need help from an expert, Cox Media Group Local Solutions can provide additional SEO support for your business.